Social class and crime Flashcards
which social class appears in prison more than any others?
working class
Characteristics of W/C Crime
violence
Theft/burglary
cheap
Receive a lot of publicity because the public feel sorry for their victims
Young
(Left Realist)
Believe that the media allows the w/c to see how many possessions other people have which increases their feelings of relative deprivation making them more likely to turn to crime.
Marxists
Argue that the system of law and order is run by the r/c against the interests of the w/c.
Parts of the w/c have are criminalised by a biased CJS
Subcultural theorists
the high w/c crime rate is because of w/c subcultures which often accept or reward crime and deviance
Miller
Focal concerns
w/c men are socialised and conform to the focal concerns of their w/c class culture which increase their likelihood of commiting crime
EG wit, excitement, trouble, leadership
Murray
New Right
supports Miller’s ideas by claiming there is an underclass in society who have their own distinct set of norms and values that encourage deviant behaviour
Edwin Sutherland
Defined white collar crime as a criminal act committed by a person of ‘high social status’ through their job
What is white collar crime?
corporate crimes (usually involving money) such as fraud and embezzlement. committed by those of a high social status
characteristics of white-collar crime
Usually non-violent
treated more leniently by society and the CJS
Often viewed as victimless crimes
Usually involve money
More likely to go unreported and undetected
Why do the public often see white collar crimes as victimless crimes?
they don’t target individuals.
HOWEVER
large-scale corporate crimes actually have many victims and damage society as a whole
Why are corporate and white colar crimes more likely to be unreported and undetected?
The police cannot see these crimes as easily
It is easier for the police to arrest someone for a blue-collar crime and it is also easier for the CJS to prosecute somebody for these types of crime as there is usually always one responsible party and a law that has been broken - they are less complex.
This means that crime statistics are skewed as the police are looking out for blue-collar crimes so the working class are over-represented and explains why there are less middle/upper class people in prison
Why are white collar crimes more likely to go unreported?
Large companies tend to cover up the fact that they have been victims of white collar crimes to avoid negative publicity especially if it undermines their security
More public interest of white collar crimes
recently there has been an increased interest in white collar crimes EG the tax evasion scandals involving large businesses and celebrities received a lot of media attention.
HOWEVER
The pnishments for these offences have been relatively minor - some celebrities seem to have got away with just apologising
